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How Malaysia works
Current topicState governments and the EXCO

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Civic guideHow Malaysia works
  1. 01
    FoundationsStart with the institutions and levels of government.
    System overviewHow Malaysia is governedFederal legislatureParliament, Dewan Rakyat and Dewan NegaraState legislatureWhat a state assembly does
  2. 02
    Representation and responsibilityWork out who represents you and which institution owns an issue.
    Representation guideMP vs ADUN: who represents what?Who is responsible?Federal, state and local responsibilityVacancy and by-electionWhat happens when a seat becomes vacant?
  3. 03
    Power and processRead majorities, government formation and law-making without political shorthand.
    Voting thresholdWhat a two-thirds majority meansConfidence and governmentHow a federal government is formedLegislative processHow a bill becomes law in MalaysiaConstitutional monarchyThe Yang di-Pertuan Agong
  4. 04
    Elections and the voteUnderstand who votes, how boundaries are set and what keeps a mandate with its party.
    Elections and the voteWho can vote and how voting worksElections and the voteHow electoral boundaries are drawnElections and the voteThe anti-party-hopping law
  5. 05
    Government machineryMeet the executive institutions that carry out what elections decide.
    Executive governmentThe federal government: Cabinet, ministries and agenciesState executiveState governments and the EXCOPermanent machineryThe civil service: who actually delivers services
Reference deskMalaysian political and election glossary

State executive

State governments and the EXCO

How a Menteri Besar, Chief Minister or Premier leads a state executive council, what states control, and how the 13 states differ.

Direct answer

Each state's executive is led by a Menteri Besar or Chief Minister, titled Premier in Sarawak, who commands the confidence of the state assembly and advises the appointment of a State Executive Council, the EXCO, from among its members. The EXCO is collectively responsible to the assembly and runs the matters the Constitution assigns to states.

Worked example

Same issue, different owner by state

A land matter goes to your state's land office under a state EXCO portfolio in every state. In Sabah and Sarawak even entry into the state is state-controlled, so the same journey can involve a state authority that does not exist elsewhere.

Sources: Attorney General's Chambers; MyGovernment

Head of government
MB, CM or Premier
Executive council
EXCO
Answerable to
State assembly (DUN)
Model provisions
Eighth Schedule

How a state executive is formed

The Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution requires every state constitution to follow the same essential design: the Ruler or Yang di-Pertua Negeri appoints as head of government the assembly member judged to command the confidence of the majority, and appoints the other EXCO members on that person's advice. In the nine Ruler states the office is titled Menteri Besar and state constitutions conventionally require the holder to be a Malay Muslim, with the Ruler holding power to waive the requirement. Melaka, Pulau Pinang and Sabah use Ketua Menteri, and Sarawak has titled its head of government Premier since 2022.

  • Appointment mirrors the federal logic of Article 43: confidence of the elected chamber decides.
  • EXCO members are appointed from among assembly members and hold state portfolios such as land, housing and local government.
  • The EXCO is collectively responsible to the state assembly.
  • The state civil service is headed by the State Secretary.

Sources: Attorney General's Chambers; Election Commission

What states control, and how states differ

The State List assigns land, Islamic affairs and Malay custom, local government, forestry and state works to the states, with further shared subjects on the Concurrent List. Every local authority answers to a state EXCO portfolio, not to the federal government. Sabah and Sarawak hold additional powers under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and its constitutional supplements, most visibly control over entry into their own territories, which is why the same issue can have a different owner depending on the state.

  • Land offices and local authorities are state machinery.
  • Sabah and Sarawak control immigration entry into their territories, a power no other state holds.
  • Portfolio allocation within an EXCO is decided by each state administration.
  • InfoUndi's guides document the structure; current officeholders belong in dated, sourced records.

Sources: Attorney General's Chambers; Parliament of Malaysia

Common questions

What is the difference between a Menteri Besar and a Chief Minister?

The office is the same: head of the state government. The title is Menteri Besar in the nine states with a hereditary Ruler, Ketua Menteri in Melaka, Pulau Pinang and Sabah, and Premier in Sarawak since 2022.

Is the EXCO the same as the Cabinet?

It is the state counterpart: appointed from the assembly, collectively responsible to the assembly, and responsible for State List matters within that state.

Do all states have the same powers?

No. Sabah and Sarawak hold additional powers under the Malaysia Agreement 1963, including control over entry into their territories.